Love Game
by Ryu-and-Lali
Summary: You have no idea how crazy she truly is. I mean, just when you think that you have reached the end of her craziness, a door opens and you realize that there is a whole underground basement of her crazy sitting in storage.
1. Makes Me Wonder

**_Lali here! I thought I'd try my hand at a fic with Quatre and an O.C. This could become rather entertaining, at least I like to think so, Ryu has been helping me with this and has decided that he will be partaking in the writing of the fic. Please read and review! Thank you!_**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. I DO, however, own Lalita Ganesh and Parvati Singh and possibly other characters as well._**

**_Love Game_**

**_By: Ryu and Lali_**

**_Chapter One:_**

**_Makes Me Wonder_**

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

He stared at the girl who had just come from Une's office intensely, taking in every inch that he could as she strutted across the room. If he were being truthful with himself, instead of trying to convince himself that he was wrong, he would have admitted that she was the most gorgeous thing on two legs he had ever come across. Her long, wavy, black hair hung loose around her shoulders, flitting gracefully as she made her way past the cubicles, her large bronze eyes intently watching him as she approached.

Alas, it was not meant to be...

Upon reaching him she stopped dead in her tracks, and stared at him , bronze staring into aquamarine.

"Winner." His name came out harsh, bitter even, but her eyes remained soft.

This was something he had always noticed about her. While her stare remained cold and unwavering, her eyes were never cruel and judging. It was something he figured she had mastered over the years, a very useful tool in a stressful board room situation, where callousness was needed, but kindness earned compliance instead of fear.

"Ganesh." He responded curtly, as he repressed his usual smile.

Was it just him, or had the temperature in the room suddenly dropped several degrees?

"I see you are working for the Preventors, how interesting... Has the Winner Corporation finally come to their senses and ousted their CEO?" She asked, a smug grin slipping onto her face.

It was not the most original thing she could have asked him, but what could he possibly come back with?

"Funny, seeing as you are here yourself, in _our_ uniform. Have the flying monkeys of Ganesh Enterprises finally come to their senses and killed the witch, or did the water refuse to take?" he laughed mentally, forcing his face to remain neutral as crimson rushed to her cheeks.

Whether it was due to her embarrassment or anger, he could only guess.

Unfortunately, keeping a straight face was far easier than controlling other areas of his anatomy, much to his displeasure.

"Oh, how original, Mr. Winner." She huffed, leaning back on her right foot and rested her right elbow on her left hand and placing the knuckles under her chin and was clearly amused. She raked her eyes over his body a moment and then chuckled. "My, I seem to be having rather a pleasant effect over you. Pity that I have no interest in taking advantage of _that_..." She raised an eyebrow, her gaze focused on his crotch.

She watched the blonde's eyes widen briefly before she continued to laugh, and walked away.

Quatre paused, and looked down for a brief moment in horror, before looking back up, his face flushing deeply. In an effort to spare himself more embarrassment, he immediately sat down at his desk and forced himself to think of other, less compromising things.

Unfortunately, one Lalita Ganesh had been doing this to him for years... and every single time they had come face to face, she would always get under his skin... and with time, things had progressively grown worse.

He stared at the computer screen in deep thought, and drummed his fingers on the desk.

It was then that Duo walked past, and eyed the agitated blonde curiously. He had seen the whole situation play out, but then again, so had most of the office...

It wasn't hard for others to see really... not with it happening right outside his rarely occupied office just off the cubicle farm... and to think, it had simply all gone down just because he'd wanted to watch the object of his affections make her way to his side of the room...

Where she had humiliated him in front of everyone he knew...

What the hell was wrong with him?

It wasn't as though he was consciously admitting that he was infatuated with the woman, his rival, but anyone with a brain could see that he did in fact hold an honest interest in her. Even his best friend, Trowa, could see the connection between him and the Indian woman. In fact, it had been Trowa who had brought it to his attention for the first time, a couple of years ago.

Two years to be exact... in fact, it had been on his eighteenth birthday, when he had held a huge benefit, and the woman had been invited. All of the Elite families of L4 had been there, along with several close friends.

"Aww, I'm happy to see you too buddy, but not that happy..." Duo chuckled, watching as the blonde moved a small stack of papers into his lap.

"Wait… NO!" The blonde sputtered. "That damned femme fatale, Lalita Ganesh! She has been a thorn in my side since… since... well, no matter." He huffed, scrambling to his feet, knocking the aforementioned papers to the floor. "I think I need to take shower, please excuse me Duo..." And with that, Quatre gave the braided man a curt nod before he pushed past him and sprinted out of the office.

Duo sighed, a quirky grin spreading across his face, as he knelt down to gather up the forgotten papers.

"Man, he just gets weirder and weirder with every passing year..." Duo chuckled, placing the papers back on the man's desk.

He paused, looking at the blonde's computer, and smirked. Quatre had not only forgotten to shut down the computer in his effort to get away, but had also neglected to exit out of a chat window, much to Duo's pleasure.

_**BartonBloomT:**_

_It is no business of mine, but why the hostility?_

_**WinnerQR:**_

_Competition. She is the head of Ganesh Enterprises._

_**BartonBloomT:**_

_She's pretty though._

_**WinnerQR:**_

_You think I don't know that already? Believe me… I do. I've been dealing with this for years..._

_**BartonBloomT: **_

_Then why fight it? This is one battle that doesn't NEED to be fought._

_**WinnerQR: **_

_How would that look on me… on the company?_

_**BartonBloomT:**_

_The public would view it as a business merger_.

'So, they aren't lovers after all, and all this time I thought Trowa and Quatre were together.' Duo chuckled to himself, shaking his head.

He had figured that with the way those two acted around one another, that they could have possibly been item. But then again, the only one who acted feminine in any way was Quatre, and as the fates would have it, it was due to him having so many sisters...

Suddenly, the computer beeped, and Duo glanced up at the monitor.

_**BartonBloomT:**_

_Mind your own business Maxwell..._

Duo only laughed at the message and peered out the open door, across the cubicles at Trowa's office.

"Still seems suspicious between those two, despite this new development..." He chuckled, before turning the monitor off and going on his way.

**-x-x-x-x-x-x-**

**Ganesh Limo**

**-x-x-x-x-x-x-**

"We'll be arriving at the shuttle port in one hour, Ms. Ganesh." The woman, Parvati Singh, beside her stated, her thick Indian accent apparent but understandable. "How was your meeting with Ms. Une?"

Lalita sighed, and pressed her back against the cool leather seat.

"As it always is, Parvati." She smiled. "Although, it would have been better if Jay had not hit that bump earlier, and sent my coffee all over me." She muttered, glaring up at the closed tinted window that concealed said driver. "No matter, Lady Une was kind enough to give me a uniform of theirs to wear in place of my ruined suit. Not that I plan to ever touch the thing again once we return." she huffed, examining the small embroidery around the cuffs.

"Did you happen to see Mr. Winner today?" The woman asked, a smirk slipping onto her face.

She knew EXACTLY why this little mishap was bothering her employer. She could always tell. Lalita Ganesh always seemed to become flustered when it came to the blonde Winner Heir. She could even recall one business meeting in particular with the man, that Lalita spent several hours getting ready for. She had torn apart her closet searching for something that would impress. In the end, she came out more angered and worked up than she had thought it humanly possible.

"Yes. Yes I did..." She grumbled. "It was a surprise really. I did not think the Gundam Pilot would be working two jobs." She huffed, crossing her arms.

"I highly doubt that the man is working two jobs, ma'am." The girl sighed and looked at her employer. "He could simply just be volunteering his time. He isn't a pilot any longer. I'm sure working with the Preventers gives him some form of nostalgia from those days. His comrades do work there as well."

Lalita raised an eyebrow at the woman, and a small smile played across her lips.

"That was a bit bold, even for you, Parvati." She chuckled, resting her chin upon her knuckles as she stared out the tinted windows. "His company will surrender to mine, eventually. That's all that truly matters though."

**-x-x-x-x-x-x-**

**Preventer Headquarters Cafeteria**

**-x-x-x-x-x-x-**

"Anyone see Winner rush out of the office today?" Wufei asked, slipping down into he seat. "Why do I think it had something to do with that woman Une met with earlier?"

"Ms. Ganesh's company is a rival of the Winner Corporation." Trowa stated. "That alone is enough to frazzle Quatre's nerves, but the physical attraction is quite apparent as well, at least on his end."

"I noticed." Duo chuckled. "The guy had a circus tent in his pants. " He paused, watching as Trowa choked on his coffee, and then continued with a chuckle. "He left over an hour ago, I thought he went to shower... but MAYBE, just maybe, he tracked down this Ganesh girl and …" He paused, taking in the odd expressions his comrades were giving him, each having raised their eyebrows at him. "What? What's wrong with a little nookie in the elevator?"

"Don't you know him at all by now?" Trowa asked, sighing as he leaned forward in his chair, resting his chin on his knuckles. "Quatre is not that sort of man. He'd never insult someone so much as to come onto them in such a dingy, cramped, public location."

Duo only rolled his eyes, and propped himself up against the wall.

"And you wonder why people think you two are gay for each other. You two know each other so well, it's unnatural." he chuckled.

Trowa chose to ignore this comment, and proceeded with the conversation.

"Quatre clearly needs to pursue her." Trowa murmured. "He's obviously infatuated, why not take a chance? Better to have tried and failed, then do nothing and regret it."

"But the hostility between them?" Heero asked, joining in on the group discussion.

"I believe it to be more of a sexual tension situation than simply just hostility..." Trowa answered. "And rivalry of course. I'm not as good with reading people as you, why don't you tell me? I'm sure you've assessed the situation, far prior to now." He chuckled, smiling at the man.

"Then Operation Mr. Winner and Ms. Ganesh shall commence." Came the chipper, if not heavily accented, voice of Parvati.

"How did you get pass security?" Heero asked, standing between her and the others.

"I have clearance, Mr. Yuy. I am here on business for Ms. Ganesh." The group of men only stared. "I was picking up some papers from Ms. Une. Ms. Ganesh left them on Ms. Une's desk, so I was let off a few blocks away so that I may retrieve them. I feel bad for sending her back off to L4 without me, but alas I must do _my_ job, and not worry too immensely for my employer's well-being." She sighed, slumping her shoulders.

"Right..." Trowa stated, still unsure about the woman.

"I happen to know that Ms. Ganesh is going to the Preventers' Holiday Ball, alone. How about Mr. Winner?" She asked, smiling in Trowa's direction.

Clearly she had managed to hear their entire conversation, and had pegged him as the best person to talk to on that matter.

"I believe he is, but then again, he doesn't tell me everything." Trowa replied, standing from the table. "If you will excuse me."

"That's not what your long haired friend has implied. However, if it is any consolation to you, Mr. Barton, I am also attending, alone." Parvati called after him, returning his shocked gaze with a warm smile. "All I ask for is a dance, nothing more." She chuckled, watching the man walk out the door. "Well, if you will excuse me Mr. Yuy, Mr. Chang, Mr. Maxwell." She nodded in their direction and then walked out the door herself.

"Are all the inhabitants of L4 like that?" Duo asked. "Or is it just the rich ones?"

Heero only sighed and shook his head sadly

**-x-x-x-x-x-x-**

**Peace Manor Sanc Kingdom**

**-x-x-x-x-x-x-**

He had been pacing the length of the first floor sitting room for over an hour. This was not the first run in at Preventor Headquarters he'd had with the woman, but that didn't seem to matter... Why did she have such an effect over him? What was she playing at? Why was she able to torment him so?

She'd been tormenting him for years. Their father's had been friends throughout their college days, and had been prime business rivals, but had never let that get in the way of their friendship. They had been thrown together as playmates as soon as they had been able to crawl, and even then she had always seemed to have the upper hand.

He remembered the onetime, years ago, that she had tackled him to the floor, wrestling with him over some stupid comment he had made that made her upset. It had happened just before he had run away starting his life as a mobile suit pilot. That day had made him realize exactly what hold she had over him... when the same event as earlier had occurred...

"Why me?" He groaned, throwing himself down on the sofa, hanging his head in his hands. "What is this hold she has over me? I don't need this... I've never needed it..." He sighed, and leaned back into the cushions, staring at the cup of tea he had let grow cold.

He picked it up and took a sip of it, frowning.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of Mozart floating into the air. He pulled the phone out of his pocket and looked at the number.

He let loose a soft whine.

"What does she want?" He muttered flipping the phone open to glare at the screen. "Winner speaking."

"Amazing! You actually answered..." Came the high lilting voice of Lalita.

"What do you want, Ganesh?" Quatre snipped.

The phone beeped, and suddenly the screen lit up, the smug face of Lalita smiling up at him.

He honestly wished she had not done so, for his heart jumped into overdrive as he gazed down at her.

"My, mighty hostile, I hope it was nothing that I did." She snickered, and he watched her as she sat back in her seat, crossing her arms. "I was just calling to find out exactly why you were at the Preventers headquarters this fine afternoon?"

The blonde frowned.

"That is really _none_ of your concern." He stated standing up and taking another sip of tea. "Or shall I ask you the same question?"

"I had business with Lady Une." She stated with a smirk on her face. "Your turn." She extended one of her left hand to signal this, and then returned it to the cradle of her right elbow.

"I happen volunteer my time, and regardless, I also happen to back the organization." He said. "I really do not see why this is relevant, Lalita, please get to the point of this call."

"Do I truly need a reason to call you?" She dropped her hands into her lap and then leaned forward with a pout. "I thought we were friends."

"I honestly do not understand you!" He growled in a tight, controlled voice. "What are you playing at, Lalita?"

"Oh, come now, Quatre, you know very well what I'm playing at, and I don't intend to back down easily." She chuckled staring at him through the screen. "Now what will I have to do to convince you to hand it over willingly?"

"I will never give you my company, that is not what either of our fathers had wanted. They wanted a merger by marriage." Quatre said exasperatedly. "I have told you countless times that it will _not_ happen, I will not sell, and I will not marry you. I'm apposed to a loveless marriage." He huffed.

"I wouldn't want you." She stated, her face becoming more serious and less playful. "I don't even want the entire company, just the branch that is located in my district."

Quatre glared at the woman on screen.

"Lalita, I've already told you my answer, and I believe that it was no. I will not sell out my employees. This is not a matter up for discussion." His grip on the delicate tea cup tightened.

"For now it may not be," She leaned back, "But this is _not_ over." She tilted her head, and at once, the screen went black.

Quatre sighed in frustration... and it was the tea cup that took the punishment, as it collided with the wall, and smashed into a million pieces.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-


	2. Over My Head Cable Car

Authors Note: Alright, I'm going to lay it out for you. If there are spelling mistakes, I'm sorry, if it seems as if it's jumbled, I'm sorry. I've been living the hectic life of a college student... I worked hard on this chapter... Ryu did not contribute, but alas, he has had technical difficulties. Hopefully he'll be up and running soon and we may revise this chapter! Also, I want to stress that if it seems like I contradicted myself, I'm sorry! It was not intentional! And as for the spelling mistakes and what not in the first chapter, I'm sorry, I'll get on those as soon as possible!

Please read and review, we could always use feedback.

Disclaimer: We do not own Gundam Wing. Lali, however, does own Lalita Ganesh, Parvati Singh and anyone else who was not in the show.

Chapter Two: Over My Head (Cable Car)

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

She sat back in her seat, staring at the blank screen. She rested her elbow on the arm of the seat and rested her chin on her hand as she thought about what her next step would entail. She knew for a fact that he was invited to the Preventer Holiday Ball and he was sure to be in attendance, even though her faithful lap dog, Parvati, stated that it was unclear if he would attend. She would have to find a way to humiliate him there as well. The question was what tactic would be viable to her cause. Did she want him hating her even more or eating out of the palm of her hand? Her next step really depended on him and she hoped he was compliant to her will.

She reached her other hand over to the keypad that was integrated with the shuttle seat and tapped in a few numbers. Within moments, a dark haired man appeared on the screen.

"Good Morning, Ms. Ganesh." Came the deep Indian accented voice of who she had called. She stared at the man on the screen enjoying how he fidgeted with his hands. She knew that this was going over the line, but it was the only way she would be able to acquire the information she would need in order to take her next step.

"Why Good Morning Ravi, how are you?" She asked sitting up straight.

"Quite well, ma'am, what may I help you with this lovely day?" he asked nervously. He had started to visibly shake with fear, or could it be nerves… she couldn't tell. All she knew was that it was aesthetically pleasing to her eye. It didn't take much to shake one Ravinash Bahkshi and she knew that her very image was enough to make his skin crawl. What amused her to no end was that this man, who was considerably older than herself and his employer, was terrified of his said employer… one Quatre Raberba Winner.

She had him where she wanted him and she didn't even need to make a threatening move, this pleased her greatly.

"I just need to know what Mr. Winner's date book entails for the next two weeks." She smiled warmly at the man, though she already knew he was eating out of the palm of her hand. It was a shame, though, that he did not officially work for her, he would have been a great asset to the company one that she would have refused to have let go. She liked her employees eating out of her hand. If this made her a dictator, then the definition of the word needed a revision. She was not a cold woman; she just enjoyed efficiency and accuracy. You could say she was a perfectionist, just like Ravinash Chaudry Bahkshi. That must have been why he had his parents pick Sobia Gaia Winner as his wife. It was a shame, however, that he was terrified of his own shadow. "You can have the sheets forwarded to my office, correct?"

"Of… of… of course, ma'am." The man bowed. "It m… may be s… slightly difficult to acqu… quire, but I can assure you that you will have the information you desire by the time your shuttle arrives."

"Thank you, Mr. Bakshi." She ended the call and leaned back in her seat. It would be another four hours till she would arrive to L4.

x-x-x-x

Earth, Peace Manor

x-x-x-x

The moment the cup hit the wall was the moment he saw a very pregnant Relena standing in the doorway. The look on the woman's face was priceless. He hung his head in shame as the woman looked at him and then at the cup. She shook her head before making her way through the door.

"Quatre, that was an heirloom." Relena said calmly. She came into the room and sat down on the couch that he had vacated only moments before. She rested her hands on her stomach and looked up at him with a confused expression. She had never really seen him so… disheveled... before.

"I'm so sorry." He said sitting down beside her and resting his forehead in his hands. He was aggravated with Lalita and he just took the anger out on a cup. He rarely let his anger get the best of him and he knew that this was not going to be the last time she'd get under his skin. It was like a game for her, some torturous game that she enjoyed playing with great enthusiasm. He looked at the broken shards of fine china that was scattered on the plush royal blue carpet. He was positive that Relena thought that his anger was aimed at her, which was most definitely not the case. "That cup was not aimed…"

"What's her name?" Relena interrupted. Quatre's head just popped up and stared at her. How in the hell did she know it was a girl? How could she possibly know that his anger was caused by the one woman in the universe who had ever managed to anger him to the point of cup breakage?

Was it that obvious that he was this hung up over a woman who drove him completely up the wall?

"Lalita Ganesh." He nearly whispered. Recognition dawned on the young woman's face as she nodded with a smile.

Relena knew Lalita quite well, and had, on many occasions, had lunch with the young heiress. Relena knew that the woman spoke of Quatre more often than not, and she knew that Lalita was just as hung up on Quatre as Quatre was clearly hung up on her. Relena's only hope was that they would find one another before it was too late for either one of them, if not both. It was only a matter of time before one of them settled down.

"Ah, one of the financiers of the Preventers." She answered the questioning gaze the boy gave her.

"What?" Quatre sat up completely and just stared the woman down. He had no idea that the little fox devil even had an interest in the Preventers none the less wanting to support the group. He seriously wanted to know what she was playing at, and he wanted that answer now.

"You didn't know?" Relena smiled. "I was sure that Lady Une had told you." She knew for a fact that the woman had made a comment about the young heiress being a financial backer and that Quatre was, in fact, there. To be quite honest, so was Ms. Ganesh. Had he paid attention to Lady Une or had he paid attention to the fact that the woman in question was sitting directly across the table, glaring at him? At least she thought she was glaring at him. She could have very well been undressing the man with her eyes… it was quite possible.

"No." Quatre shook his head. He had no recollection of Lady Une even mentioning Lalita, if she had in fact told him, he would have objected vehemently that she not be on the board. "If she had, I would have … God, she would do this."

"Seems to me that you may like her." Relena chuckled. It was now apparent that Quatre had not been paying attention at that meeting. Could she really blame him? She recalled a number of occasions when Heero had been in the same room and… maybe not the line of thought required for the current conversation.

"Of course I like her but she hates me." The blond shook his head and looked to the floor. "Not to mention that she is the most infuriating creature the universe has to offer. She is always on my mind, either because she did something to infuriate me or … or… never mind. Forget I said anything." He replaced his head to his hands and sighed in frustration.

"Or love her." Relena shrugged. "It's quite possible that you are in love with the woman and you are denying your heart what it desires by not pursuing…"

"How do you know so much?" Quatre interrupted.

"I have a Heero."

x-x-x-x-x-x

L4- Lord Shiva Estate

x-x-x-x-x-x

"Welcome home, Madam." A greying woman in a white sari bowed slightly towards the heiress.

"Hello, Mrs. Madduri." Lalita stated walking in the door and greeting her head of staff. She looked at the greying woman with a smile. "How is my father?" She asked.

"As well as a man in his condition can be, Madam." The old woman answered. "Dr. Gupta is upstairs if you would like to speak with him."

"Send him to my office when he is done, Mrs. Madduri." She started up the stairs slowly. She wanted to discuss the possibility of no longer prolonging the inevitable outcome of her father's illness. He was very sick, and she knew that there was nothing left they could possibly do for him. Even in the age of the medical advancements there was nothing they could do for him.

Devindar Ganesh had been ill for quite some time and there were no medical treatments available for the illness nor a name. It was one of the drawbacks of living on the colonies, some of the illnesses that had started once the original colonists arrived had never been defined. The reason why many of them still existed was due to mutations. They had only recently been able to fix the child birth problem, that happened sixty years or so ago, though there were still a small fraction of families that still had issues. The Winners being one of them, not to mention her own family though her mother did not die, she merely ran off about two months after having Lalita.

The last she heard about her mother was that she had married a high ranked Alliance member, who had perished in the war of 195, leaving her with four young children and no money. In Lalitas mind, that was what the woman deserved, her own coming about was a ruse to get her fathers money and she had done the same to that other man. Her mother had been very young when she married Devindar, it had been arranged by her parents. It had been customary for the poor amongst that sector of the colony to vie for an arranged marriage to someone of standing, and for her mother, it had worked out. The problem with the marriage arose when Mrs. Ganesh discovered that her child would be the only child they would ever have, since Devindar fell extremely ill half way through the pregnancy. Since she bore a daughter, if he were to die, everything would go to his brother, since, that was law.

That never mattered though. There had been a contract drawn between her father and that of his best friend and sworn business enemy, Zayeed Winner. She was to marry Zayeed Winners son upon her eighteenth birthday. When she took over the family in 196, she destroyed the document, she had been informed that Quatre had done the same. It was known early one that the two hated one another and not a thing could be done to change either one's mind.

Fortunately for Lalita, her father's brother succumbed to the very disease that her father had been fighting since before her birth. All her male cousins died in the war and she was the last one left. She was the heiress by default.

The man that her mother had married had left four trust funds for their children and made sure that Lalita's mother did not have access to the accounts. It was known that her mother was a gold digger, from a low caste and was willing to whatever was necessary to gain a lavish lifestyle. It was no secret that she had chosen her first husband and that she had left him for a monetary reason, the society ostracized her for the reason of abandoning her child. It was only a matter of time till the woman came after Lalita's own inheritance. It was something that both she and her father feared.

"Of course Madam." The woman bowed to Lalita's retreating figure.

Lalita reached her home office, the one that had formally been her Fathers; she really hadn't had much changed, only the curtains and the paintings that had lined the walls. She had needed the feminine touch for her own sanity and the before colony painting of a bunch of dogs playing poker was not her idea of great art. However, her favorite photo on her desk was that of her at the age of about six with that of a six year old Quatre Raberba Winner. It had been their sixth birthday party, a party which they shared every year up until they had turned about ten. That particular year, the boy had given her a puppy, which had been exactly what she had wanted and she had given him a bunch of wooden logs, a toy called Lincoln Logs, he was the happiest boy she'd ever seen. He always did like building things and for most of that day they were best friends… until he threw the cake at her. He wasn't the angel he was now. In any case… It was one of the few times they had ever willingly been friendly towards one another and, as incredibly stupid as she felt it was, made her feel that someday the two of them could once again find that common ground.

It had been both their fathers wish, verbally uttered or not, that they get along, at the very least.

In truth, she didn't want his company. What would she do with it other than add it on to the plethora of things that she already had with her father's company? Though, she took much pleasure in frustrating the blond to the point of pure anger, she took pleasure in knowing that she held his attention in a way that would normally put the two of them in bed with one another. She knew this to be true, for he held her attention in that very same department. Then again, a large part of her still hated him.

"What is wrong with me?" She questioned out loud.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Earth, Sanc Kingdom

Peace Manor

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"Why don't you just give in to your carnal instincts and… ow!" Duo yelped as Hilde smacked the back of his head. "I'm just giving the man some advice!"

"Because he's not you." Heero stated putting his fork down and looking at the man. The salad that sat in front of him looked as though it had not been touched, much like the soup prior to that and the course that was to follow. "We've been over this a countless number of times."

"He has turned into a plum because of you." Hilde admonished pushing Duos shoulder. It was something that she did on a near hourly basis it seemed, scolding the man for one thing or another. She hoped that when the time came for them to have children, if he ever made a move in that direction, he would be more mature. She was highly doubtful. "I'm sorry Quatre, he can be such a dense moron at times."

"It's quite alright, Hilde." Quatre stated looking down at the dinner plate that was just placed in front of him. "I would never do anything to compromise her innocence."

"Yeah, sure you wouldn't." Duo snickered. "And who's to say she's so innocent?" Duo wriggled his eyebrows at the young man.

"Duo!"

"Honestly," Quatre said in a quiet voice. "She's never expressed an interest in myself. The only thing she has ever expressed is pure hatred. I'm an idiot for even thinking about her the way that I do, wouldn't you say?"

"Seriously, just stop." Trowa taking a side glance at the blond. Trowa knew Quatre better than… Quatre knew Quatre. He knew that his best friend was trying to avoid the obvious. "I know this may sound, completely insane and immature for both your ages, but she does it because she does like you, more than you can possibly perceive at this point in time, Quatre."

Quatre looked up from his plate and looked up at the brunette with a questioning gaze. He couldn't, for a moment, understand what Trowa was actually implying about the female business rival. It wasn't as if there was anything that was to be gained from Quatre dating the heiress, or was there? Was Trowa actually taking a side? A side that was not that of his own? Was Trowa creating a Camp Ganesh or a Camp Barton? Whose side was he actually rooting for?

Quatre shook his head.

No, that wasn't possible. Trowa would never go against him, or at least that's what he thought. In most decisions since the war, the two had always been on agreement. This may have factored into the belief that Duo and Trowa's sister Catherine had about the two being a couple, which was preposterous on more than one level. This was the first time Trowa had ever voiced his opinion in Quatre's love life and therefore it threw Quatre for a slight loop.

Or was there some ulterior motive behind the comment? Was there someone… someone who had caught the attention of the quiet man? Could it be…

"Could it be that you are interested in the young assistant, Ms. Parvati Singh?" Quatre questioned his head cocked to one side. It was the only clear explanation for the mans insistence on Quatre and Lalita liking one another. The look that passed over Trowa's face as he looked up from his meal and stared across the table at Heero, who sat directly across from him, in shock. He quickly recovered, shook his head and continued with his meal.

"That is neither here nor there at this point, Quatre." He replied. He looked at the blond man a moment before turning his gaze towards the plate on the table. When had this conversation become about his personal love life.

'Oh right, Quatre stirred it my personal life.' Quatre was good at that, making the conversation about someone other than himself, especially if it was a topic of great embarrassment. This was not going to be something he would let live down. He was tired of helping the blond avoid the raven haired woman and he was tired of being the center of speculation on his sexuality. It needed to stop and he was going to put an end to it one way or the other, even if it meant allowing himself to fall for the Singh girl. It wouldn't be hard for him, he knew that Parvati would be surprisingly good for him and he for her. But he was nothing going to allow Quatre the satisfaction and he prayed that he had some form of back up from at least Heero.

"She does not even know I exist beyond the realm of the Preventer Headquarters and that of my being one of the former Gundam Pilots. So therefore, there is no attraction on either part."

"Says the man who was asked, 'Mr. Barton, I am also attending, alone. All I ask for is a dance, nothing more.'" Heero imitated the young woman's accent perfectly.

'And apparently that was asking too much.' He thought looking up at the ceiling and then at Heero. Maybe if Wufei had been in attendance, maybe he'd have been saved. No, probably not, the Chinese man was more blunt about things than Heero, and a comment of his evident weakness would be pointed out for the whole room to dissect.

"Now that's just creepy." Duo shook his head. "That was word for word."

"And the way you rushed to get out of the break room…" Heero continued, ignoring the braided man. "It was as if the room had caught fire and you wanted nothing more than to get out of there. Am I right?"

"This is not a topic up for…" Trowa started placing his cloth napkin on his plate.

"Am I right?" Heero asked again. It was no use to argue the point, but there had to be a way out of the discussion. Maybe if he just laid out what he believed to have happened and then make his escape, he may get away unscathed. Doubtful, seeing as he knew Quatre… and Duo… enough to know that he would be cornered later.

"Wait? Ms. Singh was still in the building?" Quatre asked. "That's odd, Lalita never lets the girl out of her sight. She keeps her on a very tight leash."

"She claimed she was picking up some papers that were left on Unes desk." Heero said. "Though, I did find it odd, considering that…"

"Lalita was en route for the space shuttle, which she left over an hour before that, why would Parvati still have been in the building? She could have easily made it back to the Shuttle Port, and been on that shuttle, since it is a Ganesh Enterprise vehicle." Trowa shook his head and stood up from the table. "If you will excuse me, I will be retiring to my chambers."

"She was going against her employer, nice touch for a woman terrified of being eliminated from her job." Heero sat back in his chair. "What is she playing at?"

x-x-x-x-x

Lord Shiva Manor, L4

x-x-x-x-x

"Where are you?" Lalita glared at the woman that was on the screen. What Parvati had done was unacceptable, and she would pay for it dearly once she returned. "I sent you for my papers, we waited twenty minutes for you to arrive, when you did not show, we had to leave. We had no choice, we were not at a Ganesh airfield. I would like an answer, Parvati, and it had better be good."

"I'm sorry ma'am." Parvati hung her head. "I had to see Mr. Barton about something. I had found out from Ms. Une what you needed to know about Mr. Winner, and I immediately contacted you on the matter."

"Yes, you did. What did you need with the circus freak?" Lalita said as she put on her reading glasses and looked over the papers that had been placed on her desk by her maid. She didn't like Trowa Barton, something didn't sit right with her about him. To her it seemed as if he were the bodyguard and not the best friend of Quatre, and that angered her. She didn't have one of those… either of those things, a bodyguard or a best friend, why should the blond have both. "I suppose it had something to do with the holiday ball?"

"Yes, Ma'am." Parvati nodded. "I had to find out if he was attending, for I could not get an answer out of Ms. Une, but I had to wait for him to be available."

"Very…" Lalita was cut off by someone barging into her office in a rush. Without looking at the intruder, who was fighting off the secretaries pulling of his arm, she sighed. "Parvati, I'll speak with you when you return, please come to the estate." She hung up the phone and looked up at the intruder. "Ah, Mr. Bakshi, how wonderful see you." She paused and looked at her secretary. "It is alright, Anita, he is here with a reason, you may go." She turned back to the dark haired man. "Take a seat, Ravi, I take it you have the information I need? And delivered in person, no wonder Mr. Winner likes you as his assistant, but why not take you with him to Earth?"

"My wife is his sister, Ms. Ganesh." The man answered worriedly. "And she is eight and half months pregnant, if she were to go into early labor, who would be there to coach her?"

"Very wise." She answered reluctantly. She had to hand it to Winner, always the thoughtful man, always thinking of others before himself. She didn't deserve him. "I take you are delivering these in person for a reason?"

"If the number were to show up in the office, my brother-in-law would have my head." He answered. "My wife would be none too pleased either."

"Very well." Lalita stood up and walked around her desk, stopping in front of the man. "The papers, please."

"Now, this was not easy to come by, Ms. Ganesh, I'm technically not allowed into his office with out his being there. No one is allowed in there, except for Mr. Kurama, Dr. Winner and Mr. Barton. I had to fight with his secretary to get in there."

"This matters to me how?" Lalita wrenched the papers from his hands and then walked back to her desk. "I'm sure you can find your way out, seeing as you pummeled your way in here. I believe my secretary is in need of an apology and maybe a dozen yellow roses to show your sympathy to her plight."

"Of course, Ms Ganesh." Ravi Bakshi bowed his head before exiting the room. Lalita then took her seat and picked up the copied pages of Quatre Raberba Winners' date book.

"Lets see what you have planned, Mr. Winner."


	3. Asi Se Baila El Tango

**_The chapter title is the song that inspired the end of the end of the Chapter. It was used in the movie Take the Lead starring Antonio Banderas. You can find the clip with the song on You Tube and it will give you an idea of what the dance looks like. As a note... the clip is not with three people tangoing, if I could link it I would. The song is byVeronica Vandier. Enjoy!  
_**

**_Chapter Three: _**

**_Asi Se Baila El Tango_**

**_-x-x-x-x-x-x-_**

**_Peacecraft Manor: Primary Ballroom_**

**_-x-x-x-x-x-x-_**

"I would like to thank you all for attending this evening." Lady Une's voice echoed throughout the ballroom as she stood upon the stage, nestled behind the podium. "It has been a riveting four years since the inception of the Preventor Organization. Mr. Treize would be so very proud of the accomplishments that we have made in the time that we have been in existence. But enough about the past… We shall be merry this holiday season."

Small cheers erupted as Une smiled at the attending men and women. The brunette slowly made her way off of the stage to mingle with the officials within the crowd. In the far corner of the ballroom, several of the Preventor's top employees resided.

"This is going to be a wonderful evening!" Quatre exclaimed, sitting down at the table with a grin plastered across his face. "One evening completely free of one Lalita Ganesh. What a wonderful, wonderful Christmas present! Let's celebrate!" The blonde chuckled to himself gleefully.

Several worried glances were shot at the Winner heir by his comrades.

"Did someone spike the punch already?" Sally groaned, eyeing Duo suspiciously.

Duo gasped, throwing a seemingly insulted look onto his amused face.

"What? I have not touched a thing!" Duo laughed, throwing his hands up in defense.

"I'm so sure…" Sally muttered, turning to look back over the stretch of the ballroom.

"Well, isn't she just gorgeous!" Hilde quipped as she gazed across the room towards the entrance.

The group followed her gaze, settling upon the obvious intrusion to the party. Lalita Ganesh, dressed in a gold embroidered trimmed dark blue sari, was making her way across the ballroom towards them. Her hair was hanging loose over her shoulders, with a section gathered up and held in place with a golden butterfly clip.

Duo smirked, fighting back the laughter bubbling up in his chest.

The night had just gotten interesting…

"And I just love her dress! I've never seen her around the office before. Who is she?" Hilde asked, turning to her husband.

"Lalita Ganesh, Preventor's financial backer number four, sworn rival of Quatre Raberba Winner, and second wealthiest on the L4 colonies, fourth wealthiest individual in the galaxy. Indian descent." Heero answered.

Quatre's smile fell from his face the moment he heard the woman's name. He slowly turned his head and witnessed the woman in question shaking hands with that of Relena before doing the same with Lady Une. It the same moment that he turned towards her, she too faced him, a predatory smile accenting her features for a brief moment. She quickly returned her attention towards Une before murmuring something unheard by the blonde, before laughing and making her way to her seat.

"Then who is that with her? I haven't seen her before either" Hilde asked.

It was then that everyone noticed the petite young woman trailing behind Lalita, wringing her hands. Parvati shuffled behind her, struggling to keep up with Lalita in the large crowd. The Indian woman was dressed in a light blue salwaar kameez accented with gold. Her hair had been plaited and at the base of her neck a ring of flowers. Heavy gold hoops hung from the girls ears and these matched the bangles that were just barely visible on her right wrist.

"That would be her lap dog, Ms. Singh." Duo huffed. "Don't know why she willingly works for that woman."

"She is her ASSISTANT, Duo, not a lap dog." Quatre muttered, turning his gaze back to his friends at the table. "I honestly do not understand her! She told me that she would not be here… She lied." He groaned.

Heero sighed.

"To be correct, that is Parvati Singh. Lalita Ganesh's acquaintance from childhood, and personal assistant. Middle class resident of the L4 colonies. Daughter of Devindar Ganesh's closest confidant. Also of Indian descent."

Quatre glared at the man.

"She is a business woman, Quatre. Is lying not in the job description? To lie in order to sell the product?" Trowa quipped.

"No." Quatre hissed, crossing his arms.

"I'm sure you're overreacting… what could possibly be so bad about her?" Sally asked.

"Arrogance, pride, vanity… an insatiable urge to gauge my eyes out and separate my heart from my body with a spoon… among other things. " The blonde muttered, an eye twitching as he stood. "If you would excuse me." He bowed, before heading across the floor.

Sally raised her eyebrows, and turned to the brunette at her side.

"This is not going to end well." Trowa muttered, leaning back in his chair as he watched the blond cross the room to the table that the young heiress was now seated. "It never ends well."

They sat silently in place and watched as the blonde stormed directly up to the woman, tapping her on the shoulder. Lalita turned and shook Quatre's hand politely, and they both kept a smile, although rather generic, upon their face as they spoke with one another. The onyx haired beauty leaned back and laughed pleasantly, her hand covering her mouth in a polite fashion. The blonde, in turn, continued to smile, though it now looked rather strained. They shook hands once again and the blonde made his way back to the table.

"That was an interesting exchange." Sally commented as Quatre re-took his seat. "You were both all smiles." She chuckled, a small smirk inching across her face.

Quatre eyed her, displeased.

"Only believe half of what you see, Miss Sally…" He muttered, shaking his head.

She laughed in response.

"Aww, sweet little Quatre is in love! You like her!" She cackled taking pleasure in the fact that Quatre began to sputter at her words.

"Like would be an understatement." Trowa chuckled. "But regardless, did she give reason to her arrival Quatre?"

"She apparently decided to warm her heart enough to engage in human contact for the holidays." Quatre spat, before hastily taking a sip of tea. "I just don't understand her motivation on being here tonight, of all nights, after she specifically made a big point out of NOT attending..." He grumbled, leaning back in the chair as he glared at the ornate tea cup.

"Did she give a reason for the change of… _heart_?" Trowa winced, speaking the last part slowly, choosing his word carefully.

"Heart?" Quatre asked, his brow furrowing. "That woman has no _heart, _Trowa!"

Sally raised an eyebrow and cocked her head in amusement.

"But you had just said-"

"I. Know. What. I. Said." Quatre glared at the woman, promptly ending her sentence.

"But…" Sally protested, coming only to a stop as Trowa shook his head sadly, resting a hand on her arm.

"It's not worth it Sally, not at all." He sighed, glancing over at the blonde. "She has a heart, Quatre." Trowa said looking at his friend. "It just goes dormant for thousands of years only to wake up and wreak havoc with civilization."'

At this Sally burst into hysterics.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Must you be so cruel?" Parvati groaned, as they sat down and watched the blonde walk away. "You did tell him that you would not be in attendance. Why, then, should you arrive?"

Lalita smirked, keeping her eyes on the blonde.

"Parvati, things of this nature must be handled delicately. I have my own motives for being here and they will show themselves in due time."

"But ma'am, I just…"

"I said in due time." The glared at her companion briefly, before returning her gaze to Quatre's table.

She noted that sitting directly beside him was none other than Trowa Barton. She smirked at this and took a mental note.

"Ma'am, is something wrong?" Parvati questioned, fidgeting with the hem of the table cloth.

"The circus freak cleans up rather nicely, don't you think?" She responded, eyeing the girl.

She watched as her assistant glanced over her shoulder to stare at the man in question. A meek smile appeared on her face.

"Mr. Barton?" Parvati asked, watching as Lalita nodded. "_Haanji_." She replied with a smile looking at the woman.

"I'm glad you agree." Lalita said, gazing at the girl with a smile. "But we are in public, with many English speaking guests, please speak English."

"Of course, ma'am." The girl nodded and adjusted her light blue and gold trimmed scarf, her bangles clinking together as she did so. After a brief moment of silence, Parvati sighed. "You look lovely this evening, Ms. Ganesh."

"Why thank you, Parvati." The woman continued her glare across the ballroom floor. She turned her gaze away from the man in question once more, and ran her eyes across the girl for a fleeting moment. "That is a nice shade of blue for you. You should wear more color."

"Yes, Ma'am." Parvati responded with a murmur as she stared at her plate in embarrassment.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"They would make a perfect couple." Relena exclaimed confidently, as they made their way through the dessert portion of the evening's meal.

"I AM sitting right here you know." Quatre quipped, eyeing the woman with exasperation. "And for the record, no, we would not."

"Why not give her a chance, Quatre?" Trowa asked, sighing. "What could possibly go wrong? There is clearly some attraction otherwise she would not bother you so."

The blonde visibly twitched as he glared at his friend.

"Wrong! What could go wrong!" Quatre snapped. "She'd eat our children, that's what would go wrong!"

The group simultaneously gave the man odd looks. Relena and sally giggled to themselves on the side, and Trowa was fighting back a smile himself.

"Children?" Trowa cocked an eyebrow. "You are already thinking about having children with this woman?"

"I did not say anything about children." The blonde said quickly, but Trowa could see that the blonde was flustered about what he had implied.

"Yes, yes you did." Trowa stared at him a moment as he remained silent, and then looked to Heero for back up.

"I'm staying out of this." The man answered with a shrug, and opted to start a conversation with his wife before Trowa could pursue him further.

"Whether or not I am interested in Ms. Ganesh is really no ones concern but my own." Quatre huffed, tossing his napkin atop his plate as he stood. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have to take care of some business..." He grumble, turning away from the table.

The group watched silently as the blonde then stormed across the room to mingle with none other than the woman in question. After the conversation started up Heero gave a heavy sigh.

"Was I the only one at this table to notice that Quatre downed four glasses of wine during that conversation, and thinks it a poor idea for him to have gone over to her because of this?" Heero asked looking to the group, who stared blankly at him, before looking at the empty glasses surrounding the blonde's previous location. "From the silence, I shall take that as a yes..."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Tonight, she is not your concern. You should take advantage of that." Parvati noticeably jumped at the sudden interruption of silence.

She spun around, only to find Trowa propped up against the wall, watching her watch Lalita.

"I could say the same about your friend, and yourself, Mister Barton." She stated, following his gaze to Quatre, who was trying his damn best to avoid the woman who had been slowly following him by way of social mingling. "Also, I can only wonder, why does he avoid her when he is obviously so very much in love?" She pursed her lips, now watching both parties move about the room.

"I have been trying to figure that out myself, but Quatre is a curious individual." He chuckled. "Ms. Singh, rather than stand around worrying about our chaotic others, would you care to dance?"

The woman genuinely smiled, and took the brunette's hand.

"Of course Mr. Barton."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"You look quite lovely this evening, Ms. Ganesh." Quatre said politely as he came up behind her, finally tired of stalling.

"Really?" She asked raising an eyebrow, meeting his gaze as a small smirk slipped onto her face. "Well it looks like you have been smacked in the face with a shovel and left for dead. You look like hell."

"Thank you for the gracious compliment." Quatre chuckled with a smile, although had anyone been watching, one could see the corner of that smile twitching spastically. "But what I meant to say was that every girl has the right to be ugly, and I am sad to say that you have abused the privilege."

"Touché. How has your evening been so far?" The woman asked inspecting her nails.

"Quite lovely actually, till you came along. And yours?"

"The same." She stated.

"What are you plotting, Ms. Ganesh?" The blonde asked bluntly, tapping his foot in irritation.

"Why, nothing of course. What gave you that idea? Do you trust me so little?" She asked in a huff, feigning a hurt expression.

"I trust you about as far as you can throw Sandrock, Lalita."

"What?"

"Never mind…" He muttered, shaking his head.

Lalita raised an eyebrow at him, and watched as a waiter made his way in their direction.

"Drink, Winner?"

Quatre met her eyes, and with a sigh he nodded.

"Most definitely…"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The dance floor was clear for the first time in well over an hour as the many men and women decided to take a breather and mingle at the dinner tables. However, the next song that began was certain to bring some of the more seasoned and trained dancers onto the floor. For now, the single two standing on the dance floor were at opposite ends of the room now, staring each other down as the music began. As if on beat, the two strut across the dance floor, circling one another, as if squaring off for a fight to the death.

"Oh shit..." Duo muttered, shaking his head, as he noticed just who it was on the dance floor.

"If there is any blood shed on the dance floor, in front of my important guests, someone will die tonight." Relena hissed.

Heero shot her an odd look, but the corner of his mouth twitched in amusement.

Hormones.

Wufei snorted.

"Only Winner would fight his battles on a dance floor."

"Well, despite what _you_ may think Wufei, I find it fascinating." Sally huffed, rolling her eyes.

"Is that a challenge?"

Sally only laughed.

"Not at all Wufei, not at all…"

In no time at all, the entire guest list was focused on the pair about to meet in the center of the floor.

It happened fast…Quatre practically ripped his tuxedo jacket off, throwing it on to the nearest table and undoing the buttons of his vest as he advanced to the center of the dance floor, stopping just feet away from the raven haired woman.

Lalita, in retaliation, unlatched the clasp of the sari skirt removing it from her person, revealing a much shorter skirt beneath that matched. She too tossed it aside, landing on the nearest chair. She stepped towards him and stopped, staring him down.

Almost immediately, Quatre grabbed her hand, holding her in place, and in the blink of an eye, it was on. The two of them threw their unclasped arm to the wind as they circled in time to the music. The blonde spun her out, and simultaneously, they both extended their left legs behind them, whilst bending forward on the right knee. They paused only a brief moment before rising back up and flitting across the dance floor.

"Look at Quatre getting his flirt on!" Duo snickered, Trowa and Parvati walking up beside him.

The couple on the dance floor spun together elegantly, strutting back and forth in a frenzy of leg movement. They jolted to a stop, where Lalita wrapped her right leg around his left as he dipped her down. The blonde allowed himself to place a quick kiss upon her neck before drawing her back up. The look on her face was one of utter rage as she resurfaced, having allowed him the satisfaction of having the upper hand.

"This will not end well I'm afraid..." Parvati groaned watching the two spar off with the fancy foot work of the tango in horror.

The two moved across the dance floor once again in a never ending flurry of movement. Lalita spun away from him forcefully, and the blonde turned his back to her, taking a few steps away. Eyes narrowing, she danced up behind him, wrapping her long arms around his shoulders, and seductively slipped her left leg up over his hip. They watched as Quatre tensed, and sighed as he ran his hand lightly over her thigh, craning his head to look at her.

Quatre then quickly spun around, and Lalita took a few brisk steps backwards before then dropping down to one knee, her right hand stretching upward as he advanced. Upon him reaching her, she slipped her right hand around his neck as he pulled her back up to a standing position before spinning her. Lalita leaned back swaying slightly after the spin, before she fell. The blonde caught her gracefully, and dipped her. She kicked out her right leg before being brought up right once more by the man, hiding the previous dizzy mistake. She attempted to dance away, but he grabbed her by the hips and pulled her against him, holding her there.

"This is by far the most entertaining thing I've seen all night!" Duo laughed as he watched in awe. "Who knew the man could dance!"

Wufei only groaned and shook his head, Sally chuckling beside him. Relena seemed captivated with the dance as did Hilde, but Heero looked far from amused.

"I am not responsible for damage control in the morning. I am letting that be known NOW rather than arguing about it later."

Lalita grabbed his hands before they danced a few steps forward. He released her hips as she pushed his hands away, and as she attempted to take a few steps forward once more, he latched on to her elbows, gently pulling her back towards him as he spun her to face him once more. They flitted around the dance floor some more, and once reaching the other end of the room, they both did a half split and Quatre took it as his cue to kiss her fully on the lips as the song came to an end.

"That was hot… not gonna lie." Duo nodded in approval, taking a sip of his drink.

"No, that was the two of them fighting." Trowa and Parvati muttered simultaneously.

"Fighting?" Duo questioned looking back over at the panting couple. "Quatre must have won then, since he was able to get that kiss."

Trowa nodded, but sighed heavily.

"I will have to do the damage control in the morning." Parvati groaned, taking a couple of steps towards the dance floor, before being pulled back.

"Let them work this out on their own." Trowa murmured, grasping her hand, pulling her back towards him. "It might prove to be a good thing."


	4. Paralyzer

_**Ah, it has been a long time since I've updated this chapter! I'm so very sorry! I had a busy summer. I was able to update somethings over the summer but they were few and far between. **_

_**It will seem as if characters have been taken out of character, but I hold be that a few years have passed since they were just teens, and things do change. I know Quatre is a bit OOC, I'm sorry about that, I promise he won't always be! **_

**_If there are any spelling mistakes or something doesn't flow right, please let me know! Thank you!_**

**_Chapter Four:_**

**_Paralyzer_**

**_-x-x-x-x-x-x-_**

**_Peacecraft Manor: Primary Ballroom_**

**_-x-x-x-x-x-x-_**

_**Ice Queen:**_

_I want you to drug the circus clown._

_**SinghParvati:**_

_I will not do such a thing._

_**Ice Queen:**_

_Your job depends on it, Parvati._

_**SinghParvati:**_

_Then fire me! It's not like you pay me!_

_I will not drug Mr. Barton**.**_

_**Ice Queen:**_

_I think you need to drop the last name, Parvati,_

_you are practically raping him with your eyes…_

_The pill is in a prescription bottle in my purse._

The Indian woman dropped her Smart phone into her bag and made her way back to the table.

"That woman is going to be the death of me. I swear to Brahma I will…" She reached for Lalita's purse only for it to be snatched from the seat it sat on. She looked up and into the Prussian blue eyes of one Heero Yuy.

"Planning on something?" the man asked reaching into the bag and retrieving the pill bottle.

"How could you even possibly know that?" She said quickly, reaching for the bag. "If I…"

"I know everything." The man stated. He opened the bag , pulled out the bottle and looked it over. He gave her a crooked smile. "You'll need at least two pills to take him down... a third if you want complete control."

Parvati stared at him and tried to speak.

" W... What?" She managed after several attempts.

"I want to see what Ganesh has planned." He handed her the bottle and set the bag back on the chair and he then turned on his heel.

She stood there, watching as he walked away, trying to figure out what had just happened. Most of the men she knew would have defended their friend, not encourage the drugging and possible degradation that was to be had at the hands of one Lalita Ganesh. She knew from experience that all the blame would be placed on her if anything were to go wrong.

"Is something wrong?" his voice floated into her ear and his hand touched her shoulder. She whipped around to look at him and smiled brightly.

"Of course not. I was just thinking." She answered as she popped the lid of the bottle hidden in her hand and pocketed the pills. She set the bottle against the fold of fabric of her salwaar and let it fall to the floor. If he caught the movement, she didn't know. She doubted that he believed her and she couldn't say she blamed him. She was on edge because of Lalita and she was on edge because she knew she was being watched. The rest of the evening was now shot to pieces and she knew she wouldn't be able to salvage a thing.

"About?" Trowa asked as he took her right hand from her pocket and guided her to the dance floor.

"How I am going to be held responsible for her state of being come tomorrow morning." she placed her left hand lightly on his shoulder and then placed her right hand in his left. She let her eyes stare over his shoulder as he guided her in a waltz.

"Again, tonight is not the night to worry about the wellbeing of her majesty the Ice Queen." He reminded her as he pulled her closer. He wanted her to know that she had options, that she could walk away from the psycho witch from hell and have a happy life. But he also understood the sense of loyalty one felt towards the person that clothed and fed them. "She can't keep you in her claws at all times."

"You have no idea the power she has over me." Parvati answered, still trying not to look at him. She knew the longer they danced, the longer she could hold off the inevitable. She knew that eventually she'd have to slip him the sleeping pills and pray that he went down quickly. If not, she may very well lose her job in the morning. "You have no idea how crazy she truly is, Mr. Barton. I mean, just when you think that you have reached the end of her craziness, a door opens and you realize that there is a whole underground basement of her crazy sitting in storage."

Trowa raised an eyebrow. He'd heard the rumors about Lalita from most of the staff at the Winner Estate and some of things that he'd heard did border on lunacy.

_What the hell does Quatre see in her? _

"You don't have to work for her forever. You have options, options that would put you in a better place than you are now." Trowa twirled her and then brought her back to him. He knew that if he asked Quatre, Quatre would give her a job. Quatre would do it because he cared, but he'd also do it cause it would irritate his business rival.

"Mr. Barton, I am not intending on…"

"For your health, you should." He muttered. He thought a moment. "I'm just looking out for your health. If Quatre treated me the way she treats you, I would have killed him by now."

"He is much too sweet to be that incarnation of evil." Parvati smiled as she turned her gaze to his. "I find it hard that he fought in both those wars, he could not hurt a flea."

"There are people who would disagree with you on that." Trowa chuckled.

_**x-x-x-x**_

The night was drawing to a close. The orchestra as starting their last song since only a few couples remained on the floor. Trowa sat at one of the tables as he waited for Parvati to return with the drinks that she insisted on getting on her own. He had argued with her but it was useless when she started calling him things in Hindi. He could only assume that it was just habitual and he decided to leave it alone.

"Where is your little girlfriend?" someone asked plopping down beside him. The brunette looked up and was greeted by Luccedio Noin, Lucrezia Noin's eldest brother. Behind him stood a tall red head, who looked as if she felt out of place amongst all the rich and powerful. Trowa couldn't blame her. When he first started going to these functions, in part to his job and his friends, he had felt out of place. He adapted and he knew that she would as well. Providing Lu kept this one around long enough for her to adjust.

"Mind informing me who yours is?" Trowa said nodding up at the woman behind Lu.

"Oh! How rude of me. This is my fiancée, Angelina Florentino." The black haired man explained. He grinned widely as he looked up at the beauty that stood behind him. "Seriously, what happened to the hot girl that you've been dancing with all night?"

"I find it extraordinarily hard that you and Noin came from the same sperm and womb." Trowa stated looking at the man. He motioned over to the bar where Parvati stood waiting patiently. Lu looked over in the direction that Trowa had pointed. "But, Ms. Singh is over there."

Parvati stood at the bar waiting patiently as the bartender fixed her mojito and then poured the glass of Barolo Monfortino wine. The bartender smiled as he handed her the glasses. He then turned to help the next customer.

"Please forgive me, Mr. Barton." Parvati took out the three pills and dropped them into his glass. She then turned back towards the table.

Upon turning, she instantly noticed the red head that was standing at the table. She felt a twinge of jealousy as she watched the woman extend a hand in the direction of Trowa and she hastened her pace towards the brunettes table. She was not about to lose the one happiness she felt that she had found to some red head.

"Well, there's the pretty lady. What's your name sweet cheeks?" Lu asked as Parvati approached the table. The look of disgust was clear on her face as she glared daggers at the red head and then Lu himself.

"And why would I humor the likes of you with such precious information?" She stated handing Trowa his drink. She continued to glare at Lu as she evaluated his current state of dress. "It's no wonder you attract such…" She looked Angelina up and down. Angelina was in a tight, low cut black dress that ended just below her bottom and a pair of strappy black stilettos. In Parvati's mind, the ensemble screamed street walker. "Well I am sorry to put this so bluntly, but it's no wonder you attract such trash. I mean you no disrespect miss, but your state of dress does not suggest otherwise."

Lu looked at the woman in front of him a moment before blowing an amused whistle and slapping Trowa on the back, who had been watching in pure shock at the boldness of Parvati's words.

"Oh, well, she's a keeper." Lu chuckled. He stood up from his seat and swayed slightly. It was becoming obvious that the man had had a bit too much to drink that evening. "Well, she was a stripper when I found her." The woman behind him stiffened and Parvati's mouth dropped opened. Parvati could not believe that the man could make such a crass statement to someone he didn't even know. In a matter of seconds she composed herself and slapped the man.

"No matter what state you found her in, be it exotic dancing or a street walker, you don't air her dirty laundry. She is still a lady and you should treat her as such. With your family's position she could be polished enough to fit into this society. How dare you degrade…"

"Parvati." Trowa interrupted after he downed the rest of the glass of wine. This was a side of the woman he had not seen before, and he found it rather, amusing if not something more. "Luccedio has obviously had much to drink, why not leave him be."

The woman sighed and looked away for a moment, regained her composure and then turned back to the group with a smile plastered across her face. If anything, she could at least kill the man with kindness, it was the best battle tactic she knew.

"I'll have you know, lady, that I respect her." Lu said pointing a finger at Parvati. "Who do you think you are, anyway? I mean, other than some womans lap dog who can't even…"

"Lu, sit down." Trowa growled as he stood up and moved over towards Parvati. "One last dance?" he extended his hand out to her. He wasn't going to allow the man to talk to her that way, but due to being in public, he'd have to deal with him later.

"Of course." Parvati placed her hand in his and allowed him to lead her back on to the dance floor.

_**x-x-x-x-x-x**_

_**An hour later**_

_**x-x-x-x-x-x**_

Trowa had decided to retire for the evening but before he would return to his room, he decided to escort Parvati to her quarters. It was upon going by Quatre's room that he paused a moment to better identify the weird noise coming from the other side of the door. Fearing for the blonds safety, he opened the door and then wished he'd been paying closer attention.

"Oh. My. God. I'm so sorry." He managed as the two jumped apart and pulled a sheet or comforter to cover themselves. He was too shocked to actually close the door.

"YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DRUGGED!" Lalita screeched as she wrapped the sheet more securely around herself.

"What?" Both he and Quatre looked at the woman in question.

"Trowa! I wouldn't… oh no…" Parvati came running up behind the brunette, having stopped in the washroom. She placed a hand on his arm and tried to pull him away from the room. She knew full well what Lalita had planned for him and his best friend and she wanted to keep him from the humiliation.

"YOU! EXPLAIN!" Lalita raised a hand and pointed angrily at Parvati. It was clear that she was more upset about being interrupted than the fact that Trowa was not passed out on the dance floor.

"I gave him the pills, I did exactly as I was told... but... I think I may have been thwarted by..." Parvati stammered through her sentence as she looked at the woman. Beside her, Trowa was fighting to stay awake and was failing miserably.

"I'm going to regret asking this, but what in the world is going on?" Quatre asked as he stared at his friend who was now lying unconscious on the floor.

"It's nothing for you to be worried about." The woman said as she came around to his side of the bed. "He'll be fine and so will you." She took a step behind him and picked up the lamp off the night table.

"What are you up to, Lalita?" Quatre asked attempting to turn around only to change his mind mid turn. He turned his attention back to where Parvati was crouched beside Trowa trying to wake him long enough to get him out of the room.

"This will only sting for a moment." She said lifting the lamp and swinging it down onto his head. The blond fell to the ground and Lalita smiled with triumph as she stood above him. "Though the headache you'll feel in the morning will not be a pleasant one. Parvati, undress the circus freak!"

"Oh no… no, no, no, no, no. Absolutely not." Parvati looked up from where she was crouched beside Trowa. She glared at the woman for her proposed plan of action. "This was never supposed to happen, Lali, you promised me that you would behave and that we could have a night free of these childish antics that you find so very entertaining. I am not going along with this one."

"'Vati, this is not a one person job, Winner's already nude... and good in the... anyways... I am wrapped in a sheet due to that bumbling idiots curiosity, and I am asking you to help me with this new plan."

"Is there really a sound plan, or are you just making this up as you go along? Because, honestly, this is horrifically messed up and I do love my job, but I won't do that. Not in a million years. No. You don't pay me enough."

"What are you talking about, I don't pay you." The woman spat back. "The nerve to think that you would be paid for your services, is my putting food in your stomach and clothes on your back not enough?"

"This is exactly why this not going to happen!" Parvati shot at her. She looked over at the brunette beside her and sighed. "He deserves better treatment than this, Lalita. I won't remove his clothes for whatever lewd act you have in mind. It's degrading."

"You're such a little girl!" Lalita hissed as she moved across the room to push Trowa over and onto his back. She undid the mans belt and top button as she glared at the unwilling accomplice.

"You're drunk... off your ass." Parvati snipped standing up. She watched as her employer, or rather slave driver, stood up and made her way over to the mans

"This entire plan has gone to smithereens." Lalita pulled Trowa's pants from his body, flying backwards into the hallway and into a table. The decorative antique vase, which sat precariously atop the table, crashed to the floor. "Ooops."

"Plan? Plan? WHAT PLAN!" Parvati said as she helped the woman to her feet. " There was no planning, there was no... anything! I can honestly say that this is the lowest I've been in my life."

"Says the girl willing to ditch the lap of luxury for the filth of a carny." Lalita pulled her self up from the floor and looked down at the half naked man on the floor. "Well, at least he's well endowed."

"I am going to pretend I did not hear that! And… Lap of luxury? Honestly, I want to know what the hell you've been drinking, because I would love to be in whatever world you are currently living."

"If not for me, you would be homeless. A street urchin..."

"Oh, that is where you are wrong, Lalita Ganesh." Parvati took this moment to stand up and start pointing a finger into the woman's chest. "I was offered a job with the Winner Corporation. Right out of High School... And not as someones secretary. But I remained faithful to you... and where has it lead me? NOWHERE! And do you have…"

"Will you two keep it down, people are trying to slee..." Duo started as he came into the room and found Lalita unbuttoning the pantless Trowa's shirt. He stopped and stared a moment before letting out a low whistle of appreciation. "What I want to know is how you two were able to knock out Barton and Winner? And what in God's name are you two doing and can I get in on it?"

"Why thank you, Duo. See, the American is willing to help." She slurred as she glared at Parvati. She undid the last button of the shirt and stepped back to look at her handy work. "Maxwell, pull him into a sitting position so that I can get this cheap piece of cloth off his body… then we'll drag him over to the bed."

"This is completely ridiculous, Lalita." Parvati stepped back as Duo came up to help the mad woman. "Mr. Maxwell, you really shouldn't get involved."

"Look, lady, I've been dying to mess with these two for years and to be quite honest, your employer is an evil genious."

Parvati glared at the man a moment before throwing her hands up in the air and storming out of the room, swearing as she slammed the door behind her. She knew that this was going to end badly and there was absolutely nothing she could do to stop it from happening. She also knew that if Lalita remembered anything from this evening, her job may be in jeopardy.

She honestly did not care anymore.

_**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**_

_**Three Months Later**_

_**L4 – Lord Shiva Estate**_

_**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**_

"Ms. Lalita?" Parvati's voice floated over from the double doors of the nearly pitch black master bedroom. The curtains were still drawn and it was now currently early afternoon on the colony. This was the fourth or fifth day Parvati had tried to raise her employer from her bed. She was starting to become very agitated with the woman. "Ms. Lalita, you have been in bed for over a week. What is wrong?"

"Go. Away. Parvati." The heiress groaned and rolled over on the king sized bed. "I'm not feeling well."

Her illness had started about a month after the Christmas party and Lalita was unsure of what to make of the situation. She was able to function for the most part but then everything went downhill rapidly about a week prior. She was not keeping a single thing down, except for water and if lucky, saltines. She ignored the gut feeling that she could possibly be with child, for if she was, she knew she'd have to relocate to Earth. The pregnancy test in the trash can in her bathroom was proof that she had a reason to worry.

She wondered if Parvati knew or suspected. Lalita had not sent her assistant for the test, because she knew the girl would raise too many questions, so she sent her chauffer. It was not that she didn't feel she could trust her assistant, it was she didn't trust the paparazzi on the colony to not recognize her assistant.

It amazed her that the paparazzi had any interest in her personal life, but then again, there were only two big names on the colony, Quatre Raberba Winner and Lalita Preeti Ganesh.

"As you have been for at least a week and yet you sound perfectly fine. You have quite a few meetings to tend to, Ma'am, a stack of paper work that could reach earth and make a return trip, not to mention a doctor's appointment." Parvati stated glaring at the dark mass on the bed.

"Doctors appointment? I did not make an appointment for myself or my father… so what is this…" Lalita sat up in the bed and glared at Parvati.

_Maybe she did see the damn test, but how, she hasn't been in here for a few days. Or maybe… maybe the chauffer told her._

_**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**_

_**Earth – Sanc Kingdom – Winner Estate**_

_**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**_

"I can't believe he would do this to me." Quatre muttered as he sifted through his papers on his desk. "Who does that? Did he think I would be that incompetent? Unbelievable. I have half a mind to… no… he disintegrated in the explosion… this is just UNBELIEVEABLE!" He threw the pen in his hand down on the desk and sat back in his chair. It was then that he noticed Trowa standing in the doorway gawking at him.

"I take it that Iria told you about Quatrine?" the man chuckled quietly.

"How is it that you knew before me?"

"The maids know everything. Word gets around quickly, I've found, when one works in at least one of the Winner households. Heero must have a field day when he's here."

"I wouldn't know, he hasn't been by since the baby was born." Quatre shook his head and turned back to the paper work on his desk. "I just don't understand how my father could lie to me for fifteen years about my birth and how he and my mother had created a possible back up in case anything happened to me. Who does that?"

"A man making sure that there was a male heir for his family and business." Trowa sat down in front of Quatre's desk and stared at him. "You know," He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. "if it weren't for your mothers sacrifice, you would not exist."

"Trowa, what are you getting at?" Quatre glared at the man.

"Nothing." Trowa sat back in in the chair and thought a moment. "Have you heard from Lalita lately?"

"No. And I'm happy to have not heard from her." Quatre sat back in his chair and sighed. "I haven't seen her since… since… we woke up in bed together… with her between us."

"I'm not entirely sure what happened that night." Trowa said quietly. "I mean, I do remember the wine Parvati gave me and the spat she had with Lu. Then I remember sharing a few dances with her and most everything from there was a blur. You didn't actually sleep with her did you?"

"I find it funny that this comes up three months after the fact, but yes, I did." Quatre thought a moment and then chuckled to himself. "Before you came in, we were on to round two." The blond blushed crimson as he shared the little detail and watched as his friend raised an eyebrow.

"Neither one of you were as drunk as you both let on, were you?" Trowa ignored the blondes last comment.

"We were both sober, surprisingly. Well at that point we were sober, the tango we shared, that was a different situation entirely." The nonchalant way the blond spoke took Trowa by surprise.

He knew the blond well enough to know when there was something he wasn't telling him, and he now knew that the only reason he was being given this information was in part to that night three months prior.

_Is it possible that these two have done this before?_

Trowa shook the thought from his head. There was no plausible reason for the hostility between the two if they were bed fellows every once and a while. He knew from observational experience what that lead to in the end, and that particular wedding was right around the corner.

"What?" Quatre asked looking at the man with a puzzled expression.

"Have you and Lalita… slept together before?" Trowa choked out. He had to know what to expect from this point on, especially where these two were concerned. He didn't think he could handle another war at this point in time. These two, and there fighting, caused him enough stress to begin with and he could only imagine what they put Parvati through.

"Once or twice." Quatre sighed. "It's hard to find people who are not after your money, Trowa, and the only woman that was not interested was Ms. Noin. As you know, I never pursued her. Lalita and I have an understanding."

"So the fighting, it's essentially foreplay for the two of you?" Trowa asked leaning forward and scrutinized the blond.

"I wouldn't say that, per say, it's more of a, it's the holiday season and we want to have some fun."

Trowa could not believe what his friend had just admitted to doing in his personal life. It was completely out of his normal personality to admit to such a scandalous act. He thought a moment and sat back.

"I probably don't want to know the answer to this, but I'm going to ask it anyway," Trowa said staring at the blond. He was confused as to why the blond was being candid with his thoughts. "Why are you telling me this, this is not like you to divulge such personal details?"

"My therapist told me not keep things bottled up and that if I continue to do so, I'll be on the road to another emotional breakdown." Quatre looked away from his friend and frowned, staring out the window to his right. "We don't want that to happen again and I figured that I could share these things with you. And Heero. You two are not likely to share my personal life with anyone else."

Trowa crossed his leg over the other and pondered that last statement a moment. That was where Quatre was wrong. To date he hadn't said a word of Quatre's thoughts to a soul. He knew that there was only one person on in the galaxy that would want to know this kind of information, and she had the loveliest eyes he'd ever seen, a smile to die for and a patience that would rival only Relena Peacecraft Yuy. He would tell her anything if only she would ask, it was that simple.

_**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**_

_**Thoughts? Opinions? Please leave a review! I will try and have the next chapter up soon, but I must work on a couple other fics and the fifteen page history paper on the Black Death! **_

**_Thank you!_**


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